Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-06-03
"made haste more slowly" for there
roro Tho man STAINING behind A

| made haste more SLOWLY" LOT tnele
were the men. Stepping behind a
clnmp of bushes, she watched them.
! They had stopped AID were doing
something, she could not at first see
what, to the track. Pretty soon up
came a rail, and in minute more i:
was thrown down steep ledge with
in four feet of the track, where the
whole train must be precipitated in
less than an hour if something could
not be done to warn them. Mike
saw it all now, and for q mement
stood, her eyes dilated with horror,
while she saw the scoundrels shake
their fists toward her way, and heard
an imprecation. Then they passed
on, and Mike, growing cold in the
sudden extremity, turned and sped
iowa the depot.
The rail had been removed on a
curve which was shaded on the west
side by a high bank, so that at $50 it
was quite dusk there, and as the train
always came in on down grade,
they came at full speed, So Mike
thought to herself, "I'm glad | came,
for now I'll hurry and telegraph to
| Stratford before the train comes by,
and then we'll see. Mr. Tramps, how
your little scheme cones out"
She reached the Office and looked
at the clock. Five minutes to five!
and the the train left Stratford at SOB.
Well, eight minutes was more than
plenty of time if she could "raise"
Stratford. She grasped the key.
sd sd.sd" clicked the instrument.
Never before was there so impatient
an operator on that line. With her
eyes on the clock, which seemed then,
if ever, to say Observation-Disclosures
-never-forever," she kept up the
call. Somebody on the other side
"broke her" twice, but she gave all
the danger signals she could think Of.
One, two, three, four, 6ve-slowly
pealed the clock-each stroke an
agony two the girl.
Meanwhile the agent at Stafford
could not operate at al, and the boy
who could, and served as general
chore boy about the place, had gone
for the cows, and there was no one to
answer the call on which so much de-
pended.
A few minutes and it was too late,
and Mike was in a new dilemma
Mike closed the key in despair.
She did not know the train signal,
but seized the red flag under the old
desk and ran for dear life-literally
the dear lives of her fellow creatures
Not until she got to the wrecked
place did she remember that she must
20 beyond the curve to stop them or
she would be of no use. Already she
heard the approaching train rumble in
the distance. Faster, faster she sped
around the curve straight on up the
track. She could see them now COM
ing in. On they rushed, the great
engine bent on destroying it's preci-
Gus freight. Mike stopped in the
middle of the track and frantically
swung her red flag, but still the mon
ster rushed toward her, showing no
abatement of speed.
Meanwhile the brakeman and fire.
man stood aghast to see the engineer
so utterly regardless of her.
"Stop mani" he shouted; don't you
see the girl?"
"Yes;" said the half drunk engin.
eer. "Why don't the little fool get
out of the way? I'll teach her," and
made no movement to stop.
Mike waited with a sinking heart.
Oh. why did everything go against
her? Was it the will of God that
this dreadful thing must happen!
The engine was close upon her, and
she ran on jutting rock by the rail-
road, waving her scarlet flag; but just
az the engine came alongside of her
she heard the sharp click of the call
bell in the engine, and saw the fire.
man push the engineer aside, and re-
verse the engine. The conductor,
who had just seen her and excitedly
pulled the bell-rope, jumped off and
came toward her But the reaction
was too much for poor Mike, and she
could only gasp OUT
"Round the curve" and then she
was white heap, with no sense of
any thing.
Passengers rushed out, and, after
some had been to the curve and seen
what the little girl saved them from,
no lady in the land could be 30 loyal
ly waited upon as she was when she
had been lifted into the car and told
modestly her little story. 1t was
some little time before the track was
ready for the train to proceed, and
when Mike got out at her own station
many kind hands pressed hers in fare
well, too, just as the train left, say
ing
"You are the bravest little woman
in the State"
Not until she had been in the Office
a good half hour with her father, who
had got home from his lawsuit, and
wondered what made the train late
and where Mike had gone to and told
him all the story, did Mike think to
look at the packet Then she read q
note:-
"Will Miss Eunice Markham &C
cept the accompanying from the
friends che SO bravely saved July %,
1880.
The note was wrapped around $500
in bank notes
ooh, papa! now you can pay off
the mortgage on the house," cried
Mike, and the father said:-
81 declare, Nick, you get higher
wages as agent than | dol"
The superintendent of the g IL l.
Railroad Committee came down to
Parkerstown that week, and soon af-
ter there was vacancy in one of the
best Offices of the company in neigh
boring city and Mr.. Markham was
rendered the situation. He accepted.
$50 Mike can have the schooling she
wants so much" he said; and to-day
Miss Eunice Markham is one Of the
most promising pupils in the high
school of that city But more than
ever is she the pride of her fathers
heart, who never tires Of telling Of the
| afteruoon Ghia uirl waa station